New Super Lucky's Tale (2019)

New Super Lucky's Tale is possibly one of the easiest 3D platformers I've ever played, but that totally works in its favor. The visuals are cute and charming, the movement feels fluid, and the level designs were strong enough to have me hunting down all the collectibles as I worked my way through the main story. I had a lovely time with this game.

If you've played a AAA 3D platformer before, chances are you've seen much of what this game has to offer mechanically. But that doesn't stop it from being fun to play through. There is an odd difficulty spike when you get to the world that was originally DLC in the previous version of the game, but for the most part the game stays relatively light on challenge.

My only true gripe with the game is that Lucky himself is a very "limp" protagonist. He has zero personality and pretty much just smiles and gapes at everything around him while chuckling and going "woaaah!" I'd have loved for him to feel a bit more fleshed out. The villains, on the other hand, were silly and varied. Their designs felt well informed by their goals and personalities, even if they ended up being pretty cliche. I enjoyed meeting each of them.

This is an easy recommendation for anyone who likes a solid 3D platformer but doesn't care too much for a challenge.

The work that has gone into this remake has made a world of difference. This version is the full package, unlike the original that had additional DLC worlds to explore. These also change the running order that you encounter the different worlds in: for example, Gilly Island was released as DLC originally but in this version it is the fourth island you visit out of six.

Levels feel more regimented in the sense that they all feature the same four objectives: finish the level, collect 300 coins, find five letters to spell out ‘Lucky’ and discover the secret area. Level rewards are the same, but the level designs are wildly varied, constantly keeping things fresh. There are your standard 3D levels, 2D-esque side-scrolling, top-down and more.

Other improved features in New Super Lucky’s Tale include a fully rotatable camera and tighter control of Lucky himself. Plus, there are improvements and amendments to the music, cinematics, lighting and story.